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BEAUTY: Holiday Sun protection Sorted.

Monday, 29 August 2016

The most important thing to bare in mind when going on
holiday to a hotter climate is sun protection. Over the years I have learnt
from my mistakes and take it a lot more seriously than I did in the past. I
remember mine and Toms first holiday together, we both got so sun burnt on our
first day that it just put a downer on the rest of our break. Over the years I
have become more aware of what I should and shouldn’t do while in the sun.
Starting with the products I use.

Now this is not necessarily sun protection, but I felt it was worth mentioning
before I get to the nitty gritty. For the past 2 years pre holiday I have used
the Elemis Tan Accelerator lotion 2 weeks before going away on holiday. It’s a
moisturiser you use daily on the lead up to going away. The tosolin; which is
made up from polysaccharides preps your skin for sun exposure, promoting a more
natural deep tan. I can honestly say that going forward I will never go away
without using this first. I find I get a much nicer colour, and don’t burn, now
this may be in combination with my more savvy sun protection but it works, so
is a product I will continue to use as part of my holiday prep!

Back in the day I would have opted for low factor sun creams from the get go.
My thoughts were if I used a higher factor then I wouldn’t tan. The reality is,
using a higher factor doesn’t completely stop you from getting a tan, it just
reduces the speed that you do and protects your skin from the sun better, than
if you were to say solely use factor 8 while away! These days for my body, I
always start with a factor 30 for the first couple of days. Let’s be honest, it’s
rare our skin sees proper sun in the UK so it’s probably a bit of a shock at
first! My brand of choice for the last couple of years has been Piz Buin. I
like to use the sun sensitive allergy versions, mainly because this type helps
combat prickily heat. Which if you are a
sufferer of, know that it can get really bloody annoying when you have it! The
result may be different on other people, but for me it really helps combat the
issue! Towards the mid part to end of my holiday I will probably switch to a
lower factor product. This year I have gone with the Hawaiian Tropic protectivedry oil in factor 15. (Now I may purchase factor 20 as well, just incase I don’t
want to jump down a factor so drastically) Not only will this protect my skin
it also moisturises at the same time. It is water resistant, but like all sun
protection I always like to do a top up after being in the water, regardless if
it says it won’t come off. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

A lot of people like to reduce the amount of sun damage on their face, myself
included. That is why this year I am taking the Vichy mattifying face fluid infactor 50 on holiday with me. I chose this firstly because of the high SPF and
also that it’s mattifying. – I dislike my face feeling greasy in hot weather so
this is the perfect product. Again it states that it is water resistant, but I
will topping it up on regular intervals to ensure maximum protection.

Other non product based things you should take with you when
planning to lie out in the sun would be a good sun hat. Whether it be a large straw hat with a cheeky slogan, trilby style or even a baseball cap. Not only will this offer protection
for your head (No one wants a sunburnt hair line, trust me I’ve experienced it
and its horrible) you can also use it to completely cover your face if you don’t
want it directly in the sunlight, or you know, to look super stylish around the
pool! To accompany your fashionable but practical hat, you will also need
sunglasses. They are an essential. I have a selection of pairs, but I tend to
use cheap ones around the pool. The amount of times you may drop them, higher
risk of standing on them etc. I will not be taking my pricer shades pool side;
they can just make an appearance in blog photos! No one wants to squint in the sun;
it’s just going to give you awful frown lines on your forehead!

Remember to keep hydrated when sun bathing
too , always have a bottle of water with you, or keep making trips to the pool
bar for a cheeky cocktail/mocktail. Finally, the sun is hottest from 11am to
3pm. During that time make the most of your parasol over your sun bed, pop up
it up and read a book/snooze for a couple of hours in the shade.